Chapter 65 - Page 2

in their pockets, and quite doubled themselves up with laughter, and went stamping about the pavement of the hall.

We asked a gentleman by us, if he knew what cause was on? He told us Jarndyce and Jarndyce. We asked him if he knew what was doing in it. He said, really no he did not, nobody ever did; but as well as he could make out, it was over. Over for the day? we asked him. No, he said; over for good.

Over for good!

When we heard this unaccountable answer, we looked at one another quite lost in amazement. Could it be possible that the Will had set things right at last, and that Richard and Ada were going to be rich? It seemed too good to be true. Alas it was!

Our suspense was short; for a break-up soon took place in the crowd, and the people came streaming out looking flushed and hot, and bringing a quantity of bad air with them. Still they were all exceedingly amused, and were more like people coming out from a Farce or a Juggler than from a court of Justice. We stood aside, watching for any countenance we knew; and presently great bundles of paper began to be carried out — bundles in bags, bundles too large to be got into any bags, immense masses of papers of all shapes and no shapes, which the bearers staggered under, and threw down for the time being, anyhow, on the Hall pavement, while they went back to bring out more. Even these clerks were laughing. We glanced at the papers, and seeing Jarndyce and Jarndyce everywhere, asked an official-looking person who was standing in the midst of them, whether the cause was over. “Yes,” he said; “it was all up with it at last!” and burst out laughing too.

At this juncture, we perceived Mr Kenge coming out of court with an affable dignity upon him, listening to Mr Vholes, who was deferential, and carried his own bag. Mr Vholes was the first to see us. “Here is Miss Summerson, sir,” he said. “And Mr Woodcourt.”

“O indeed! Yes. Truly!” said Mr Kenge, raising his hat to me with polished politeness. “How do you do? Glad to see you. Mr Jarndyce is not here?”

No. He never came there, I reminded him.

“Really,” returned Mr Kenge, “it is as well that he is not here to-day, for his — shall I say, in my good friend‘s absence, his indomitable singularity of opinion? — might have been strengthened, perhaps; not reasonably, but might have been strengthened.”

“Pray what has been done to-day?” asked Allan.

“I beg your pardon?” said Mr Kenge, with excessive urbanity.

“What has been done to-day?”

“What has been done,” repeated Mr Kenge. “Quite so. Yes. Why, not much has been done; not much. We have been checked — brought up suddenly, I would say — upon the — shall I